USACA vows to 'take action' against ICC

The USA Cricket Association is gearing up for a battle with the ICC over its current suspension, telling the international governing body in a letter sent on Thursday that it has "decided to take action" in response to ICC head of global development Tim Anderson's ultimatum. Anderson had stated that USACA has until December 15 to ratify a new constitution.

A three-page letter was sent by USACA vice-president Owen Grey to Anderson dated June 9 in which Grey said he had been encouraged by the USACA members to fight back against the ICC's suspension. Grey wrote that USACA had appointed its former executive secretary Kenwyn Williams to help the board in a legal capacity against the ICC, and that Williams would be their representative attending the ICC annual conference in Scotland later this month.

"The members of USACA have mandated me to act to protect the organization from your unfair and obvious tactic to remove and replace the non-profit from its position as the responsible sports organization in the USA," Grey wrote. "We have decided to retain Kenwyn S. Williams to advise us on a pathway to revitalization.

"Mr. Williams will be tasked with rebuilding our credibility, restoring our public image and economic sustainability in anticipation of the ICC's sustained suspension with constant threats to remove us in December 2016. Mr. Williams has experience in the areas of sport litigation and will be responsible for advocating and protecting all the rights of USACA."

Williams has worked in the past as a paralegal for Cooley LLP, an American law firm, but is no longer listed as part of their staff. He was suspended and eventually dismissed as the USACA secretary in 2012 after an infamous social media tirade. Following his removal, he attempted to sue USACA for $1.5 million, though the case was eventually thrown out in court.

Grey also asserted that USACA is the established governing body for cricket in the USA and that any other group attempting to represent itself on behalf of US cricket is false. USACA claims such false representation includes the Sustainable Foundation advisory group designated by the ICC to form a new constitution.

The 10-person group, which met in Colorado Springs along with US Olympic Committee officials last weekend, includes current USACA board member Linden Dodson from New York, who was pictured standing next to Anderson during a group photo. However, Grey said "putting together a group of individuals that have a negative opinion of the organization and whose main goal is to replace the non-profit is tantamount to retaliation," while Grey made further claims that such actions have harmed USACA in various ways.

"Your false manifestations over the past months have caused serious damage to USACA's financial structure, membership, umpires and other stakeholders involved in developing cricket," Grey wrote. "You continue to represent that the ICC's Reinstatement conditions are the central reasons for USACA's suspension whilst you continue to defraud the organization of its ability to function and gain financial independence.

"USACA has been a partner of the ICC since 1965, more than 50 years. In that time frame, the ICC has subjected not only USACA but all of its members to a meager share of profits. The ICC has deprived USACA's past and future revenue by its detrimental actions. The wider cricket community which you cite do not support your scheme and the USACA membership has decided to take action."

Grey also described the decision to hire new ICC Americas staff and the process of moving the regional office from Toronto to Colorado Springs as "another farce" while denouncing the ICC for not having any American citizens on its staff but instead "more ex-pats from Australia or New Zealand - a trend that you seem to continue since forcing USACA to accept Darren Beazley as CEO of USACA."

ESPNcricinfo contacted the ICC staff regarding Grey's letter to Anderson but a representative declined to comment.